I what to clarify that I have no conection with CS other than I share language and a surname with one of the founders. I just translate their most interresting blogposts to share with those of you that dont care to read danish. I dont belive anyone from the group reads this forum so if you what to congratiulate them or ask questions you can try their blog. I think they understand english as well even though the blog is in danish http://ing.dk/blogs/rumfartpaadenandenmaade

They have done at LOX/parafine partialy succesfull test in at HATV rocket. The conclutions are that they need better regulation off the helium perssure and they are therefore adding helium pressure tanks to the rocket.

In fact I could just tell you that all is going well and we are going full steam ahead - but here are a few more details ...

At this moment von Bengtson designes a parachute/recovery module that will be used for both HEAT 1X launcher and the spacecapsule MSC Tycho Brahe. The two parts weigh about the same when screens should be used, as the same model can be used both places. The module connects to the launcher at one end and the MSC at the other - through a "HEAT standard flange" as we recycle many parts of the rocket.

The module itself is a redesign of the original parachute section. This summer Niels Johansen came on the team - and his background as blasting engineering has given us access to some technologies that make many things simpler. The parachute section has four doors that open with tiny explosives blowing them off and frees the parachutes. It is a few milligrams nitrocellulose that dos the trick and this without melting or burning chutes.

In the booster unit work are beeing done on the launcher HEAT 1X. The large 650-liter LOX tank is the first issue - it has got its top dome on and we got some pressure tanks for the helium. The bottom with the very large valve comes on today with a little luck.

As so often before, a plea at ing.dk – about ouer need for scuba diving tanks meant that we now have two high pressure tanks from a kind sponsor.

In about 14 days we run a series of tests of some braking rockets to facilitate the separation off the launcher and Tycho Brahe. It is very fashionable now to worry about the collision of the payload and booster - Space X lost one of their test launches on that account - and NASA has just used something of the sort on ARES, so we'll make sure that the two parts come apart and at a safe distance.

The Parachute Section von Bengtson is building has four "air resistance inducing devices" - a streamer and three large parachutes. The streamer can withstand deployment at high speed - and therefore appears first. Our plan is to shoot it out very soon after separation - to make air resistance larger on the booster than Tycho Brahe. This trick only works when there indeed is air - and it would only be used this summer when testing are done in low altitudes.

The brake rocket is a thing that mostly have priority for high shots - but we make them now anyway - like the RCS system (small thrusters to rotate the capsule) just because it's intellectually interesting. A little fun, we suppose we are allowed to have ...

Booster calendar looks good --

We have therfore a braking rocket test in a couple of weeks - then in about six weeks a LOX HATV test and ladies and gentlemen - in the first week of Febuar 2010 - static test of HEAT 1X.

With 900 kg of fuel and 6.5 tons compressive force - will be the test of largest Danish developed rocket. Techwise HEAT 1X is not much more complex than HATV launcher - it's just more rocket than anything we've tested before - and the instrumentation is built to be on board during launch. HEAT 1X is just much larger. It is perhaps no coincidence that my bedtime reading at moment is a book titled "Stages to Saturn" - on the development and construction of the Saturn rockets that brought Man to the moon. Very inspiring ... when faced with your fingers deep in a hot rocket.

The team can handle approx. one big test a months - and that is the working pace we go by. Then we get either worn out or rusted.

Operation HEAT 1X is - subject to all - primarily authorities - scheduled for the first two weeks of June 2010. It becomes a test flight into the stratosphere - but the exact altitude is determined again by the static test and – the authorities as always.

That said, we also still need some money for the hire of barge and tug - but I think we will can succeed? I believe in it. To launch a rocket into the scale is just so unique - it must be tested.

Hi BenI have asked Peter about his thoughts about their engine isp. here is his anwser.

LOX/parafin engine ISP?By Marius Madsen, 16.11.2009 kl 11:33Hello Peter writes in an earlier blog that you have calculated the specific impulse, ISP (a term for a rocket engine efficiency) for your test engine with LOX / paraffin to around 130. When I read about ISP in Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Specific impulse it says that for a bipropellant rocket ISP can reach 450 for the type of engines. When your engine are so much lower it is so because it is not possible with paraffin or have you just not been optimizing as much on the engine yet? And do you consider your ISP to be a problem in relation to the heights you want to fly? yours marius

You have your finger on the problem. So before we can fly a number of parameters has to be ok.

1. Reliability.

It's no use if we blow up - or the engine stops 5 seconds after blast off - in this situation we can not rescue the astronaut.

We have had no explosion in our entire development and we have not experienced any rocket engine stops.

CS rocket engines are reliable enough.

GO on reliability.

2. High initial acceleration. It is vital for the safety that our rockets immediately (within fractions of a second) achieves 100% compressive force and keep this until we have guiding speed.

All our tests have fulfilled this parameter to perfection.

GO on quick start.

If 1 and 2 are in place we can, in principle, fly our rockets. They will have a safe and stable trajectory.

It was the need to haves - now we come to nice to have:

3. High ISP.

CS engines runs at low pressure. This reduces problems with cooling, and so does the pressure components easier to build and above all lighter. But it lowers the ISP. LOX paraffin combination can theoretical at our operating pressure - 12 bar - give us a ISP around.230 sec.

450 sec is achieved only with hydrogen at 350 bars pressure chamber. No can do. 230 is really nice. It is comparable to the space shuttle SRBés and is obtained at a lower operating pressure - which all in all bodes well.

Unfortunately we have not achieved more than a certain percentage of what is feasible. Paraffin is difficult to burn completely and where we stand right now is focusing on ways to get along with increased combustion efficiency. We will in December test a baffle plate / post combustion chamber configuration which will tackle the problem.

One of the really easy ways to solve the problem is a bigger engine. In a large engine the burn off the gas stays longer in the firebox, and there are several milliseconds available to finalize the combustion. So when we in February runs the big engine - we should expect higher ISP, baffles or not.

The N20 HATV launcher is operating with an ISP of 185 s, but nitrous oxide is no good for the big rocket. Epoxy is just easier to burn, and nitrous oxide is a very strong oxidizer. Like hydrogen peroxide, it also generates heat and oxygen - and it moves ISP sharply up.

LOX is only oxygen – and generates no heat. But we try with a baffle and see if it helps. We hope it will work.

If 1st and 2nd are fulfilled, we can fly safely this summer, There we are already. If we also get the 3rd in the box, we can fly very high.

This I how it goes.

Because of different range safety reasons, the max ceiling is at the moment. 30 to 45 km, and it will require ISPs at 170 to reach 45 km with HEAT 1X. The Xér is an abridged edition of HEAT, built for reasons of range safety - and because it is good to crawl before you walk.

Should we get an ISP over 170 we must have iron ballast on board in order not to fly too high.

-You know, if we have a multiton launcher into the air two years after we started - it is also well done - whether it is 9 - 16 - 25 or 45 km.

Just to lift the logistics task is to launch from sea is not for children, put in custom-made parachutes, insurance, licensing authority, 24 meters launch ramp and more and it is an achievement.

A good spaceshipdayIt's been a fantastic Wednesday in Copenhagen Suborbitals' spaceship department.

Right now, here at 14:37, I sit here well clammy and sweaty at our office, after 6 long hours inside the spaceship, with lamps and welding torch. It gets slightly warm, inside such a small chamber.

The reason I was there, was not as last Monday to take a power nap, but finally getting the seat fixed, so it sits properly positioned in its longitudinal axis, and precisely in center. It is now done.

Our test dummy was hung up in a crane, because it is simply impossible to handle. There he hangs so nicely and he sleeps within his new 4-point harness, which I purchased myself yesterday. It will soon be placed in the seat, which has been prepared for the harness, so the astronaut can sit firmly, but easily get away with a quick release belt system, which is located on the abdomen.

A pile of Visco-elastic foam called memory shape foam also came today. I will use this to build the final adjustment for the doll in the spaceship-seat structure.

On Friday we awaits 25 parts, which will become the new bottom section of the spacecraft, containing parachutes, RCS and separation of HEAT-1X. I expect that it is assembled and ready to come on Tycho Brahe, in the course of a week's time.

Today's correspondence in CS:

Kristian to Peter via Text message: "I can’t pick up the phone now. I’m inside the spaceship"Peter to Kristian via Text message: "I stand in the submarine. Who is most strange?"

News from CS. After a succsesful test of their HATV test rocket system in december CS are about to test a full version of the HEAT rocket. This engine is the one that will carry their astronaut. The test will occur saturday the 7 febuary.

Work is also beeing done on the spaceship readying it for an upcomming droptest. The droptest will prove the design of the parachutesystem. The parachute system consists of a streamer turning the spaceship sidewise to brake from 800-500 kmh. The a dragster parachute will brake the speed from 500-200kmh. At 200 kmh the spaceship will engage the main parachutes. The seat for the spaceship is almost done. See pictures below.

Finaly they are now designing the boat that they will use as a launch platform.

I look forward to it and I think the people from CS are anticipating it too I think it is one of the largest engines of that design ever tested so they don’t know how well the principle will scale up. I believe I have seen a picture (that I cant find again) of the aerospike on top of the plexiglass dome on the spaceship. So like you I assume the purpose is the same like that of the spike on the Trident missile. How they will attach it and centre it I have no idea but I imagine it will be challenging.

video from the testfiring of HEAT x1 this sundayhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49FUPMfamZUThe test showed a working engine without any burnthroug but a somwhat unstable burn. So a succes and something to work on

CS have now got a permission to launch the HEAT rocket and spacecraft from the sea east of the danish island Bornholm. The launch platform is almost done. The platform is in the shape of a large raft that will be towed behind their submarine UC3Nautilus. The launch window is between 30 aug. and 14 sep. 2010.

Because of problems with parafine as fuel in the large engine they have yet again changed fuel. They are now trying out polyuretane rubber and have used it succesfully in the HATV engine. Wideo of the burn below.